Acts chapter 3 is awesome! It is where we find the 1st miracle performed by the apostles after the ascension of Jesus. We must look at the entire 3rd chapter to get the full impact of this miracle which took place at the gate called beautiful, one of the favoured entrances to the temple. The Jewish historian Josephus describes this gate as being made of fine Corinthian brass, seventy-five feet high with huge double doors, so beautiful that it "greatly excelled those that were only covered over with silver and gold." (Cited in Stott).
The lame man sat at those gates begging, he knew the devout Jews and Gentiles observed 3 times of prayer throughout the day and he simply wanted to be supported in the condition he'd known since birth, however, God wanted to completely change his condition. How marvellous! God wants to continually change our condition too, the condition of our bodies, hearts, attitudes and habits.
This lame man had the key: "So the man gave them his attention, expecting to get something from them" (Acts 3 v5) … and boy was he in for a surprise! He asked for money and received healing. He had the spirit of Expectancy, when we ask God for something we need we must expect that he will provide. God always sees something better for us than we see for ourselves. Having moved house at Easter, a time when Chris had no work and our savings had ran out, we clung to that spirit of Expectancy for a beautiful home and work, did God disappoint? Of course not, he topped anything we could have imagined, he wants to give his children good gifts, to use for His glory.
I write this thinking of my friends who boldly heal in the name of Jesus outside Asda on a Saturday, I think of healings I have seen and been a party to in His name, of testimonies to tell, we all have them and it is important that we share them to encourage others. It is important that we expect more. Later in this chapter we find that people who even pass through Peter's shadow get healed, because of God's power in his shadow, bet they didn't expect that!
The healed man went jumping, shouting and praising God, a crowd gathered filled with wonder and amazement and Peter used this opportunity to share the message of Jesus Christ. The same Peter who cut off the soldiers' ear and denied his Lord 3 times, stumbling away in tears, is now boldly capitalising on the opportunity to share the mercy and grace of God.
Let us, in spite of our own weaknesses, pray for courage like Peter to step out and tell of the things the Lord has done. Let us live with that spirit of expectancy. Expectancy opens your heart and better enables you to hear and receive from the Lord those things your heart so desires.
Dawn Milward
Read the bible in a year: Psalm 70:1-5, 2 Samuel 9:1-10:19, Acts 3:1-26
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